Wildlife authorities in Franklin County have closed a months-long poaching investigation involving the deaths of two mule deer after the suspect in the case came forward to cooperate with officials.

    Bruce Jay Haslam, called officials and said he needed to get the ordeal off his chest.

    Idaho Fish and Game officer Korey Owens said he was called Aug. 20 to investigate a report of two dead deer in a farmer’s field near 800 West and 200 North in Preston city limits.

    “Initially, it was really strange because one of the deer had created a small crop circle in the hay field where it had taken down all the hay,” Owens said. “So initially I didn’t think it was poaching; I thought it was maybe illness related.”

    The deer found in the hay was sent to a state lab for analysis where it was discovered the animal had been shot using a .22-caliber rifle.

    Owens said he started an investigation in the neighborhood where the animals were killed and noticed that a nearby resident used an electric fence as a way to keep animals out of his garden.

    “When you have an electric fence around a garden, often that means deer problems,” said Owens. “So I interviewed the resident, and he initially denied any involvement. But I investigated more thoroughly and interviewed some acquaintances of his. One of the stories didn’t match up so I went back again, and at that point in time he still denied it.”

    “I went back over, and he admitted to being upset about the deer being in his garden and that he had shot the deer,” said Owens. “He said he’d been really stressed out about the situation and he said he wished he had told me up front about it when I knocked on the door.”

    On Nov. 16, Haslam pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of unlawful taking of game animals and guilty to two misdemeanor counts of wasteful destruction of wildlife. He was sentenced to pay fines totaling $1,003 and given a suspended jail sentence of 180 days, according to court records. Haslam was also ordered to pay a $1,200 civil penalty in restitution fees for the wildlife and pay a $150 processing fee.

    Jennifer Jackson, a conservation educator with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, says poaching is an issue the agency takes seriously. She says public involvement is key to combating the problem in the Gem State.

    “Conservation officers know they will never catch all the poachers and those that break other wildlife laws without help,” she said. “They rely on the people of Idaho who enjoy Idaho’s great outdoors. Without calls from the public to Idaho Fish and Game or to Citizens Against Poaching, or CAP, many violators would not be caught or punished.”

    Set reward amounts are $100 for birds, fish and general violations; $250 for most big game animals and wild turkeys; and $500 for trophy species, including sheep, goat, moose and caribou. With approval from the CAP board, amounts can even be increased in special circumstances, and private donations are often made to enhance rewards for specific cases.

    Idaho’s poaching hotline is 1-800-632-5999. Callers may remain anonymous.